


Unspoken Regrets

by DanishBoi03



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: How Do I Tag, Hurt Lance (Voltron), I cried while writing this, I regret this, Insecure Lance (Voltron), M/M, What Have I Done
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-24 04:09:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14347698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DanishBoi03/pseuds/DanishBoi03
Summary: Lance never saw it coming.





	Unspoken Regrets

**Author's Note:**

> I'm gonna be honest, when I started typing this, I didn't think I'd do this. Now I regret it.

Hanahaki Disease (花吐き病 (Japanese); 하나하키병 (Korean); 花吐病 (Chinese)) is a fictional disease in which the victim coughs up flower petals when they suffer from one-sided love. It ends when the beloved returns their feelings (romantic love only; strong friendship is not enough), or when the victim dies. It can be cured through surgical removal, but when the infection is removed, the victim's romantic feelings for their love also disappear.

Lance never saw it coming. 

Who could blame him? He was always flirting with Allura, and any woman they came across. His facade was perfect. No wonder they didn’t suspect anything was wrong with him. He knew how to laugh away the attention, how to divert the concern and turn it into annoyance. No wonder they didn’t see it. 

No wonder he was coughing up flower petals in his bathroom. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They couldn’t see it.

The day Lance realized he had fallen in love with them, it was too late. He didn’t know why there was a sharp, constant ache in his chest, or why his throat tingled constantly, no matter how much he coughed. He didn’t recognize it at first. After all, it was a very rare disease. It started on a Friday. Monday? He didn’t know. All he knew was that each day that passed, the ache grew and grew until most days he couldn’t breathe. 

Somehow, somewhere along the line, he had fallen in love with them. And Lance knew they would never love him back. And just maybe that hurt more then any injury or insult ever could. Because he knew the dreaded outcome of loving them. Yet he did it anyways. The night that he found out, he fell asleep crying.

He woke up to a white speckled purple petal on his pillow. 

It took him a while, it did. Took him a whole month to figure out what to tell them, and when. He was planning to tell them when they passed by planet Vulta. He had even gone ahead and asked them to meet him in the control room, so he could confess under the stars. 

What a fool he was. 

The night the Castle of Lions passed by Vulta, Lance hurried down the hallways to the control room. His hands were twitching, thoughts flying through his mind as he approached the door. Inside, the Blue Paladin could hear muffled voices, and his chest swelled. ‘Maybe…’ Lance thought as he quietly opened the door. ‘Maybe this can work out.’ 

What. A. Fool. 

Lance’s eyes widened as he took in the sight of Keith and Shiro pressed together in an intimate embrace, Keith’s arms wrapped around Shiro’s neck, whose arms were around the Red Paladins waist. Lance let out a tiny gasp, nearly silent, but it was loud enough to startle the two Paladins apart. “O-oh, Lance!” Shiro’s startled voice rang out across the control room as the two turned to face him. 

Lance was stricken by conflicting emotions. 

Keith's face was a dark red, and Shiro's was dusted with a light pink. Their bodies were silhouetted by the brilliant light of Vulta, creating a light ring around their bodies. In that moment…

Lance couldn’t help but think but think they were beautiful. 

A sharp pain cut through his chest as he stumbled away, gasping an apology before he ran out of the room clutching his chest. The two called out his name, but Lance was already gone.

“God, I hope he can keep his trap shut.” Keith grumbled as he angled his body away from Shiro’s, still embarrassed that they were caught. Shiro shook his head, staring after Lance with concern. “He… He looked like he was in pain.” Shiro whispered as Keith glanced at him. “What do you mean? He looked plenty shocked to me, but not pained.” “Well,” Shiro started, turning to look at Keith. “He was clutching his chest, and was kinda pale…. Plus, he did just stumble away from the door.” 

Keith stared into Shiro’s eyes, his own narrowed as he tried to decipher the concern in his eyes. “Whatever, probably just homophobic. I mean, he flirts with every girl we come across.” Shiro sighed as he looked away. “I don’t know…” Keith threw his arms up, turning to walk out the door. “Whatever. I need to go to bed. Don’t even know why he asked us to come here, idiot…” Keith’s voice faded away as he walked out the door, and Shiro stared out at the stars.

‘Oh Lance…’ 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Lance slammed the bathroom door shut, collapsing onto his knees and crying out as pain erupted in his chest. His lungs felt like they were on fire, throat tight and hot as he trembled. He pounded on his chest, tears filling his eyes and spilling down his cheeks as he coughed and coughed, desperate to catch a breath of air as his lungs ached, his throat screaming.

It took him a second to realize that it was him screaming through the coughs, his hearing fading out as his vision narrowed to a single point. There was pounding on the door he could barely hear, screams in the air with hands on his chest as he coughed and coughed and screamed until---

Purple and deep red petals flooded out of his mouth, spilling onto the floor in bloody disarray. Dark red stained his lips, his shirt, the floor. His eyes were wide as petal after petal flowed out of his open mouth, littering the floor with blood covered abandon. Gardenias, Deep Red Roses, Yellow Carnations, Anemone, they all poured out quick and hot. Lance’s heart grew cold as he stared at the beautiful bloody mess before him, the flow coming to a slow stop. 

 

“N… No….” Lance whispered, body trembling. He was held captive by the flower petals on the floor. The door burst open as two large, warm hands grabbed his arms, and he glanced up. Hunk was standing there, talking. “-ance! Lance please answer me!” Lance could pinpoint the exact moment Hunk’s eyes met the flower petals, the exact moment his best friend realized what was going on with him. The Yellow Paladins face fell as Pidge burst into the bathroom behind him. “Lance!” She cried out, eyes falling onto the flower petals on the floor, before growing silent with shock. “Oh Lance…” She finally whispered as she fell to her knees beside the Cuban boy, hands finding his and holding it tight as she asked. “Who?” Lance closed his eyes, tears squeezing out on their own will. 

“B… Both of them…” He whispered, causing Hunk’s breath to hitch. “Sh...Shiro… and Keith…” Pidge sighed softly, pulling him into a tight hug. “I’m so sorry Lance…” Lance’s body trembled as he buried his face in the crook of her neck. Hunk gathered up the flower petals on the floor, eyes sad as he turned and walked out of the bathroom. Lance just closed his eyes and wept at the loss. 

\----------------------------------------------------------

It had only gotten worse. 

Each time Lance’s eyes met one of theirs, his heart ached and chest tightened. He could feel the vines growing around his lungs, and flower petals filled his drawers and were flung out into space through airlocks. Anemone and Yellow Carnations seemed to be the most out there, but Deep Red Roses and Gardenias buffered in the times it was coughed up. Lance struggled to breathe in the presence of either of the two, but he couldn’t bring himself to avoid them, even if it was costing him his own life. In turn, his love for them grew everyday. 

Pidge and Hunk’s worried looks only grew each time they had to help Lance stand straight, had to help him back to his room, had to clean up flower petals. Hunk always took the time to clean up the mess they left behind, and Pidge tried every time to convince Lance to just get the seed removed already.

Lance rejected it each time.

\---------------------------------------------------------------

“Lance please! You’re killing yourself!” Pidge’s angry yet concerned voice rang out in the empty storage room. She had grown desperate, watching her friend slowly deteriorate away in front of her, hands shaking as she tried to clean the blood off of his clothes. Lance shook his head, groaning softly as the vines tugged and tightened. “I don’t want to.” He whispered, falling into another coughing fit. Hunk rushed into the room, carrying a bag filled with petals. “Lance, she’s right. You’re only killing yourself each time you think of them. You need to get it removed, or at least tell them!” He begged as he gently thumped his best friend on the back. Bright blue petals spilled out of his mouth and landed on the floor, speckled with blood. 

The three of them stared down at the new flower, before Lance slowly reached out and picked up a petal. “Blue Roses.” He whispered, head bowed. Pidge flinched as Hunk trembled slightly. “Please, Lance, we can find someone to prepare the surgery.” The Blue Paladin shook his head. “No. I can’t.” Hunk growled softly in sadness before shaking his head and standing. “I’m sorry. I can’t do this anymore.” Pidge whispered, before turning and running out of the room. Lance looked after her before looking up to Hunk, eyes begging him to stay, but Hunk only shook his head. “I’m sorry Lance. You need help.” He turned and walked out of the room, leaving Lance alone in the storage room. 

Lance shuddered and slowly stood up, bracing himself up against the wall, eyes filled with tears as he tried not to cry. They… They had just left him. He picked up a lone blue petal as the tears spilled down his cheeks. Seconds passed before he turned and ran out of the room, tears slipping off the petal as his eyes shut in sadness as he ran. 

That’s why he didn’t see him. 

Lance yelped as he slammed into a body, tripping and falling backwards as his eyes flew open. Him and the person fell onto the floor, the mystery person on top of him. A shock of white hair filled his vision, and his chest tightened when he realized who exactly was on top of him. Shiro’s eyes were wide, between Lance’s legs, with his arms on either side of his head. Their noses were barely touching and Lance’s face turned red as Shiro shifted.

Not even a second later though, Lance was ripped out from under Shiro and shoved against a wall. Violet eyes met his in a fierce glare, and all air left his chest as he saw the fury in Keiths beautiful eyes. Keith had his fist raised, ready to hit Lance when Shiro called out. “Keith wait! It wasn’t his fault! I ran into him, it’s fine!” Lance trembled as he stared at Keith, struggling for breath. Keith growled before letting Lance go, letting him drop to floor. A soft sigh of relief left his lips. Then-

Shiro rushed over to catch Lance before he hit the ground asa Keith rushed away. Lance was out like a light, a gash above his left eyebrow where the hilt of Keith’s bayard had made contact. Shiro gently lowered the cuban boy to the ground, desperately shaking his shoulders and patting the side of his face. “Lance, Lance wake up!” Lance twitched and Shiro stared down at Lance hopefully. The hope in his eyes quickly turned to horror as Lance started to convulse, mouth opening and a torrent of flower blooms rushed out. Shiro stared down in horror before he quickly stood up, rushing out of the room, trying to get help, any help.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Coran, Allura, and Pidge were all in the main control room, talking about their next course of action, when Shiro burst into the room. 

His eyes were wide and fear-filled as he yelled out. “Keith hit Lance in the head and now he’s coughing up flowers and blood!” Pidge’s eyes widened as she whispered. “Oh no…” She rushed out of the room, Shiro and Coran following behind her as she ran down the hallways to the storage hallway, her heart pounding. 

A roar suddenly rocked the ship, causing them to stumble. Pidge’s heart dropped. “That was Blue!” Coran exclaimed, eyes wide with fear and concern as Pidge gained her balance and rushed on. The Green Paladin turned the corner and slid to a stop with a terrified gasp, eyes landing on Lance. The other Paladins turned the corner after her, stopping in shock.

Lance was lying on his back, eyes closed and hands by his side. Tears tracks lined his face. But what was the most terrifying was the flowers. Flowers, full on blooms surrounded him like a bloody embrace. Vines grew out of his mouth, lining the floor with thick ivy blankets. The cut on his forehead had a big, beautiful Amaryllis flower bunch growing out of it. His chest was covered in Gardenias, neck lined with Roses of all colors. Yellow Carnations spilled from his open palms, and the ivy surrounded the beautiful mess.

It was covered in blood.  
It was terrifyingly beautiful.

Shiro was the first to break out of his shock, rushing forwards to drop onto his knees by Lance’s side. His hands shook as he gently cradled the side of Lance’s face. His eyes trailed across Lance’s face hopefully, pleading softly under his breath. 

“Lance, Lance please wake up…” he begged, fingers trailing through the soft brown hair that had grown a bloody sunflower crown. Tears splashed onto the boys cheek as Shiro’s body shook. Slowly, one by one, the others moved forwards, broken out of their shock. Pidge crouched bby Lance, tears in her eyes as she trembled. Hunk stood behind her, crying softly. Coran trembled.

He had lost so many people in his life but seeing Lance like this… This hurt so much more than any of their losses. Allura stood to the side, eyes wide in shock. She could see it, and she did nothing. Why didn’t she help him?

Then, there was Keith. Keith, who depended on Lance’s ridiculous jokes and sunshine bright smiles to get through the day. Keith, who had Lance time and time again because he was a coward. Keith, who caused all of this because he was jealous.

Keith, who was crying because he could never tell Lance how much he loved him. 

Shiro’s arms encased the small, fragile, beautiful body and lifted it slowly. Petals scattered and fell like raindrops to the floor as the blood dripped like a leaking faucet. His head bowed, pressing his forehead against Lance’s as he cradled him. Whispering.

“Please Lance… I… I love you so much… Please don’t go….” 

Shiro waited, begged, cried for Lance to open his eyes.

Lance didn’t.

Shiro broke.


End file.
